Yulia Alyoshina – Russia’s first trans politician, has announced that she will be stepping down from politics, explaining her “difficult decision” to retire was due to the nation’s expansion of its “LGBT propaganda” law.
Alyoshina, who is a member of the Civic Initiative party made the announcement at her party’s head office in the Altai Krai region and followed new changes being proposed to expand on Russia’s “LGBT propaganda” law.
“Today, the State Duma (Russian parliament’s lower house) adopted in the first reading the bill on banning LGBT propaganda,” Alyoshina explained.
“I have never engaged in such propaganda, but I have no idea how to continue conducting public political activities, being an openly transgender woman,” she added.
“I entered politics, planning to struggle for the rights and liberties of all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity, orientation, or even their political views, and I did struggle for them. But I think I was a bit ahead of my time,” Alyoshina concluded.
The new amendments, which have passed unanimously on its first reading by the lower house State Duma, aims to prohibit any event or act that can be deemed to promote homosexuality, including online, on screen, in books, via advertising or in public.
According to Reuters, the new legislation would see Russian citizens fined up to 400,000 roubles (NZ$ 11,000) for promoting so-called “LGBT propaganda”.
Additionally, any legal entity or company could see fines of up to 5 million roubles (NZ$138,500). Foreigners would face deportation.
